Pitchers who show their weakness (by wearing a mask).

[0203bbmom]

First off, I am a supporter of face masks. But wouldn't a player be more likely to be severely injured if they were hit in the top or side of the head ? Or let's say a line drive to the throat or heart ? Which is worse ? Just food for thought.

Good conversation starter 3ballbratz.... My DD wears her Evoshield chest guard no matter where she is playing. Are these girls looked at as being weak also? Or do we just not hear about a debate over chest guards because they are practically invisible underneath a jersey? I've seen players miss a pop fly and get hit in the head and line drives to the throat, etc.... how do we go about protecting in that situation? Plenty to consider....

[Linedrive21]

Perhaps I'll start a thread: " Parents of pitchers who lack the intelligence to have their DD wear a mask ".......anyone who allows their daughter to the circle w/out a mask is too ignorant to have a daughter talented enough to be a pitcher....here's a thought for those parents who don't demand a mask: Go out there yourself and let a hitter drill some line drives back at you ....

[tankerlab]

Perhaps I'll start a thread: " Parents of pitchers who lack the intelligence to have their DD wear a mask ".......anyone who allows their daughter to the circle w/out a mask is too ignorant to have a daughter talented enough to be a pitcher....here's a thought for those parents who don't demand a mask: Go out there yourself and let a hitter drill some line drives back at you ....

Nicely said! And in the earlier post about college coaches not wanting pitchers that wear a mask they could always play for Florida or Oaklahoma... and yes this post should be referring to the weakness being not intelligent enough to wear a mask...

[ech92]

It should be mandatory for all pitchers to wear a mask period!!! IT SHOULD NOT BE LEFT UP TO THE PLAYER OR THE COACH!!!

[Pacerdad57]

the need for the corners and pitchers to wear a mask shouldn't even be up for questions. these positions are at times way less than 40 feet from the batter. (the pitcher every single friggin pitch).
there is no reaction time left at this distance. i have actually had people tell me that their reaction times will increase as they get use to balls being hit hard right at them at this distance. unless you're talking about suddenly getting superhuman reaction times from somewhere, you're crazy. i crunched the numbers for different age groups, bat/pitch speeds, and bat exit speeds when i was a part of the facemask committee with Coach JWB. you cannot possibly build up a reaction to these split second returns from the box. i may not be a Dr., but i'm pretty damned sure there is a maxed out reaction time per person depending upon their neurological/muscular makeup that cannot be surpassed with training. and some are bound to have much slower reaction times than others.
just realize that the exit speeds from the box are sooo fast when you're thirty five or so feet away that most players will not be able to get their hand up to try top stop or deflect the ball, a vast majority of the times that it is blocked or deflected is nothing more than luck.
sadly there will not be any mandatory use of a mask until a national standard of what stress, strains and yield strengths would be required so that they could be labeled and the mrf's would not be open to such huge liabilities. this will probably never happen in the time span of anyone's daughter who reads this board. if no national standard exists, not national rule for mandatory use will ever exist.
soooooo, let's all just do the smart thing and as responsible parents make our DD's use this piece of equipment if for nothing else, as a precautionary measure. i'm sure you'll feel better if it bends a mask rather than breaks your DD's face.
JMHO

[Fairman]

I've offered to coaches/parents that are skeptical about the usefulness of a mask....to hit them line drives as hard as I can, not from 43' but say about 34' (A combined distance of decent leap by the pitcher and a hitter up in the box) Oh by the way they have to stand on one foot.

Surprisingly, no one has taken me up on the offer. Chicken?

Yet that is exactly what we expect our daughters to do game in and game out. A mask protects a large portion of the face. I hope you never know the fear of waiting 7-days for the swelling to go down in order to determine if your dd will ever see out of that eye again.

Just wear a mask. All of us will sleep better.

[tankerlab]

I just sent this to Assistant Commissioner Roxanne Price who oversees the sport of softball for OHSAA.
I guess Missouri cares more about their student athletes...
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...eX6_5f1JyNwj4g

[Spartandad]

All it takes is for something to happen once and you'll have a lifetime of regret. Someone is going to sue ASA or one of the sanctioning bodies. May not be found liable but defending a lawsuit is expensive.

[lewam3]

I just sent this to Assistant Commissioner Roxanne Price who oversees the sport of softball for OHSAA.
I guess Missouri cares more about their student athletes...
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...eX6_5f1JyNwj4g

Thanks for doing that. I believe in freedom of choice:
You wear one, you pitch.
You don't wear one, you can play outfield.

[24GahannaLadyLions7]

Just saw my first live comebacker in the Finesse/stingrays 12U game yesterday at Gapss.... scariest thing I have ever seen in softball-- all of mine will always have a mask on whether pitching or in the infield or you don't play